Jets Named Best Landing Spot For Record-Breaking Quarterback
It’s unclear what the New York Jets will do in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the team is viewed as the best possible fit for Bo Nix, the former quarterback and FBS record holder out of Oregon.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder shared their list of the best possible landing spots for the draft’s top quarterbacks. While he included logical fits like Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears, he also threw out a surprising fit for Nix, listing the Jets as his top landing spot.
“While the New York Jets aren’t considered to be in the quarterback market, Aaron Rodgers has proven to be such a wild card recently that it couldn’t hurt to have a backup plan in case he decides to pursue a political career,” Holder wrote. “Plus, the Jets learned the hard way about how important a second-string quarterback is, and Rodgers turned 40 in December.”
Even if Rodgers plays the entire 2024 season, it might be a good idea for the Jets to have a successor in place once the future Hall of Fame quarterback decides to retire.
Bo Nix’s Record-Breaking College Career
While it wasn’t always pretty for Nix at the college level, the 24-year-old quarterback established himself as one of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft thanks to a dominant season with the Oregon Ducks.
Prior to his time at Oregon, a top dual-threat QB recruit in the 2019 high school class before deciding to play for his dad’s former team in the Auburn Tigers. Nix was immediately the starter as a true freshman, but struggled with consistency in his three years with the program, leading the Tigers to just a 21-13 record as the starter.
Things quickly changed in 2022 when Nix transferred to Oregon. The Ducks went 22-5 with Nix as the starter over the last two seasons, with their new quarterback throwing for 8,101 yards, 74 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. Nix also set the FBS record for career starts 61, while ranking near the top of the all-time lists in passing yards and touchdowns.
Given all of that college experience, it makes sense why teams like the Jets could be considering taking him in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Bo Nix Scouting Report
What makes Nix stand out among the next tier of quarterbacks behind Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels is his significant college experience. Still, that’s not the only thing that makes Nix such an intriguing draft prospect.
Nix has one of the better arms in this year’s draft class, which is helped by his quick throwing motion. He’s capable of hitting receivers accurately at all levels of the field, but can also make big plays out of structure thanks to his legitimate athleticism.
That being said, Oregon didn’t ask too much of Nix as a post-snap processor, relying on a quick passing game that included plenty of one-read throws. There were also multiple instances of Nix dropping his eyes when under duress instead of keeping them up to find open receivers downfield.
Given his skill set, Nix should be able to quickly acclimate to the demands of being an NFL quarterback, and learning behind a star like Rodgers for a year or two could help him prepare even more to be a starter down the road.
